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Bodegas Luis Canas Popular

Located in the town of Villabuena de Alava, south of the province of Álava, Bodega Luis Cañas is a family winery which, for more than two centuries, has devoted itself to viticulture and winemaking. It is today one of the leading wineries in the Rioja Alavesa region.

History

Date Founded: 1928

Owner: Luis Cañas/Juan Luis Cañas

Winery Philosophy: Our challenge is the pursuit of perfect wines.

One of Rioja Alavesa’s oldest family-owned wineries, four generations have overseen production of these classic wines. The history starts with Luis Cañas father, Carlos Cañas, who sold his wines in bulk, transporting them by mule and cart throughout the region. At that time the wines were cosecheros, young wines produced by carbonic maceration in the Cueva de Los Curas (“Priests Caves), an ancient cellar carved out of the ground that still can be found in the region.

Luis Cañas, born in 1928 and still active at the winery, shifted the focus from selling young bulk wines to producing bottled wines. In 1970 he launched his namesake winery. 1989 marked a new milestone in the winery’s transformation when Juan Luis Cañas, the only son of Mr. Luis Cañas, took over as general manager at age 33 and brought a fresh approach. Juan Luis began to lay the foundation for what would later become a more modernized winery, opened in 1994, and he developed new wines while simultaneously promoting increasingly aged wines. Along the way the reputation of Luis Cañas continued to grow, and the family legacy is sealed as a major producer both in Rioja Alavesa and throughout Spain and the world.

Winery/Vineyards

Winery Acreage: 271 acres owned (667 controlled )

Winery Production: 166,666 / 9L cases

Varietals Produced: TEMPRANILLO: The most important indigenous red variety in D.O.ca Rioja and one of the biggest varieties in the world. It produces wines for length aging, very balanced in their alcoholic degrees, color and acidity.
GRACIANO: An indigenous red variety with an intense aroma which produces wines with considerable acidity and polyphonelic content. A perfect complement to Tempranillo for aging.
VIURA: The most extensive white variety in Rioja. It produces fruity wines, with a floral aroma and a notable degree of acidity, ideal for preparing both young white and vintage wines.
MALVASÍA: A white variety that produces wines with deep viscosity and aromatics.
GARNACHA

Winemaker: Fidel Fernández Gómez

Located in the town of Villabuena de Alava, south of the province of Álava, Luis Cañas lies in the heart of Rioja Alavesa. Sheltered from harsh weather extremes by the Sierra Cantabria Mountains to the north, the hillside vineyards are comprised of nutrient-poor chalky clay soil. What the soil lacks in nutrients is compensated for with small plot cultivation with low yields to produce small firm clusters of berries of excellent quality Almost 900 plots are needed to complete the approximately 400 hectares of estate-owned or cellar-controlled vineyards, some with vines more than 100 years in age.Almost 60% of the vineyards are older than 30 years. 30% of the vineyards have an average age of 80 years. Almost all are located on steep slopes and terraces.All of the grapes undergo a manual selection process. Individual grapes destined for reservas and premium wines undergo a second selection based on their weight. Luis Cañas was the first winery in Spain to employ this type of selection process.

The average annual temperature averages between 12.6º and the 13.2º Celsius. There are large fluctuations in the temperature between the morning and the night at harvest time, which is very positive for the quality of the grapes. Average rainfall is around 400 mm. and 600 mm. Vineyards are located between 450 and 600 meters in altitude.

Sustainable farming practices are honored and overseen by a team of specialists in this area. While the winery is not 100% organic, the use of herbicides, pesticides, synthetic fertilizers and other aggressive or artificial methods are strictly prohibited to preserve the land and the strengthen the vineyard’s immune system naturally. Luis Cañas was the first winery in Spain to obtain the BRC Protocol with AENOR, the ISO 14.000, the ISO 9.002 quality certification, and inaugurated its own waste water treatment plant.

All Luis Cañas wines undergo a double selection process. Grape clusters are first sorted by hand and then examined a second time to ensure only the best are selected. Wines are aged in new French and American oak barrels from among the best cooperages in the world. Cask stock is renewed continuously with an average age of just three years.

Luis Cañas’ caring approach to producing wines that respect the environment and the process also extends to its workers. In 2006, the winery built and opened a facility to house 40 vineyard workers on the property. This initiative received the prestigious 2008 Caring Company Award given by the magazine Dato.

A classic style Rioja from one of the regions most enduring family run wineries.. The hillside terraced vineyards are sheltered by the Sierra Cantabria Mountains to the north from harsh weather extremes. Small plot production is utilized in this region of infertile chalky clay soil to produce clusters of excellent quality. Almost 900 plots are needed to complete the approximately 400 hectares of estate-owned or cellar-controlled vineyards, some with vines more than 100 years in age.

Tasting notesMade from 95% Tempranillo, 5% Garnacha of 30 years of age, the wine shows a ruby red color, a clean nose with nuances of balsamic, plum and cedar. The palate is smooth and velvety, complex and structured, with fruit, spice flavors with toasted oak. A pleasant finish with red fruits and hints of eucalyptus.

The harvestThis year in Rioja Alavesa the weather has been especially cold, the summer short and dry, and there has been plenty of rain in early September. This has produced wines with great aromatic notes, particularly those coming from high altitude areas, very fragrant and with great structure.

Winemaking and agingUpon entering the bodega and passing the selection table, the grapes are de-stemmed and crushed before undergoing fermentation and then maceration in stainless steel tanks for a total of 8 days, obtaining better color extraction as well as much more complex wines, suitable for prolonged aging. The wine is clarified with vegetable gelatines and follows anicrobic filtration.After its primary fermentation, the wine is placed in barrels where it undergoes malolactic fermentation and is aged for a minimum of 12 months. It is then bottled for at least another 12 months.

Pairings

It is ideal to pair with meats; red meat, poultry, small game, oily fish, semi-cured cheeses, spicy dishes and hot dishes such as beans or potatoes Rioja style.

Reviews

2015 Luis Canas Rioja Crianza - 91+ PTS - WA

"The young and creamy 2015 Crianza is mostly Tempranillo with 5% Garnacha, matured in French and American oak barrels for 12 to 14 months. It's ripe with moderate acidity and lactic aromas intermixed with cherries and vanilla. The palate is soft with juicy fruit and lush tannins. A crowd-pleaser and a great vintage. Great value too. They produce one million bottles of this. - Luis Gutiérrez"- Robert Parker's Wine Advocate (Issue #235, February 2018), 91+ pts

2014 Luis Canas Rioja Crianza - 91 PTS - WA

"The Crianza from Luis Cañas is always a textbook example of the category. The 2014 Crianza is no exception, with those sweet lactic aromas, cinnamon and vanilla intermixed with Fruit of the Forest notes. The palate is silky, smooth and supple, a champion in drinkability. It's remarkable that they produce 1.5 million bottles of this wine."

2013 Luis Canas Rioja Crianza - TOP 10 Rioja Crianza Wines - VINEPAIR

2013 Luis Canas Rioja Crianza - BRONZE MEDAL - TEXSOM

2013 Luis Canas Rioja Crianza - 90 PTS - VINOUS

"Vivid ruby. Lively red berry and floral scents and hints of vanilla and woodsmoke on the deeply perfumed nose. Fresh, spice-accented raspberry and cherry flavors are joined by a mocha element that gains strength as the wine opens up. The red fruit note repeats on a long, gently tannic finish that echoes the spicy note. - Josh Raynolds"

2013 Luis Canas Rioja Crianza - 87 PTS - WA

"The 2013 Crianza (95% Tempranillo and 5% Garnacha) exhibits plenty of black cherry and raspberry notes and graphite in addition to excellent ripeness, a dark ruby color and a savory, broad, lush mouth-style. Drink it over the next several years."

2012 Luis Canas Rioja Crianza - 91 PTS - WA

"The 2012 Crianza is quite classical, with minty/herbal notes of American oak and ripe berries. The palate is medium-bodied with fine tannins and a pleasant, long finish. Year after year this is a reference in the Crianzas, and a very good value. - Luis Gutierrez"

2011 Luis Canas Rioja Crianza - 88 PTS - WE

2010 Luis Canas Rioja Crianza - 90 PTS - W&S

"A plump, round Rioja girded by tannic black spice, this is packed with meaty, dark plum flavor. A little tough and gripping as a young wine, it should develop well over the next several years in bottle."- Wine & Spirits Magazine (December 2014), 90 pts

2009 Luis Canas Rioja Crianza - 92 PTS - WA

"The 2009 Crianza, a blend of 95% Tempranillo and 5% Garnacha aged for 12 months in French and American oak, sports a very polished bouquet with dark cherries, sloes and fresh fig. The palate is medium-bodied with fine tannins, good acidity and impressive structure towards the finish that has a convincing sense of symmetry and focus. This is a very natural, sophisticated Crianza meriting aging. Drink 2014-2020.- Neal Martin"Robert Parker's Wine Advocate (Issue #202, August 2012), 92 pts